Fortuna Dusseldorf ‘really wanted’ to sell midfielder Ao Tanaka to Leeds United this summer and their failure to do so was ‘an absolute setback for everyone involved’.
That’s according to Rheinische Post, who say the German club had planned to get rid of Tanaka all summer and were sorely disappointed not to do so.
Tanaka was linked with a move away from Fortuna throughout the summer transfer window, having made it clear he wanted to move on and take a different step in his career.
Leeds were linked throughout the window as they rebuilt their squad for Daniel Farke following a series of high profile exits from Elland Road after relegation last season.
At one point it appeared a move to the club was a foregone conclusion before a late wobble at the end of the window seemingly turned things around and he ended up staying in Germany.
RP now cover that and explain the lack of a transfer was a big disappointment for Dusseldorf, with a sale ‘intended’ to give the club a much-needed financial injection at the end of the transfer window.
Tanaka had made it clear he wanted to leave and take the next step to maintain his place in Japan’s squad and there was no shortage of interested parties, including Leeds United.
A deal was there to be done and Fortuna even lowered the player’s asking price in the hope of luring one of them into a deal.
That’s because sports director Klaus Allofs ‘really wanted’ to sell the midfielder and make a profit on him, in the process opening up the chance of doing other transfers.
But ‘nothing came of it’ and he ended up remaining, ‘an absolute setback for everyone involved’ who had planned for him to go.
Whether Leeds feel the same isn’t mentioned but the sentiment is clear, they were supposed to sign Tanaka this summer and their failure to do so has left their German counterparts less than happy.
